Donald Trump's new Director of African American Outreach is a familiar face for 'Apprentice' fans

More than a decade after entering the pantheon of reality TV villains as a contestant on the first season of NBC’s The Apprentice, Omarosa Manigault is back in the limelight, thanks again to her former (almost) boss: She’s the new Director of African American Outreach for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. The appointment was made public Monday morning ahead of this week’s Republican National Convention.

“I am the Director of African American Outreach for Donald Trump,” Manigault confirmed to MSNBC, during an on-air interview. “It’s really an extension of the work the [National Diversity Coalition for Trump] has already been doing,” she later added, referencing her former position as vice-chair of another organization of Trump supporters.

In some ways Omarosa’s hire is an unsurprising one—she has long been an enthusiastic passenger on the Trump train. Earlier this year, Manigault squared off with MSNBC anchor Joy Reid over her support for Trump, saying, “I have to debunk this myth that Donald Trump does not have broad support across different races, religion and gender because those eight million people [who voted for him in Republican primary elections] are some of the most diverse Americans in this country.”

But while the entrepreneur, TV personality, and ordained minister may already be a seasoned Trump backer, she faces an uphill battle when it comes to actually making headway among some African American communities. As was pointed out to her on-air, recent polling places Trump’s support at a whopping zero percent in battleground states Pennsylvania and Ohio (where this week’s RNC is being held).

Omarosa appeared unfazed by the daunting numbers. In a particularly Trump-ish pivot, she appeared to call into question the veracity of the polls themselves, while dodging the stark reality of the numbers she’d been presented with.

She explained:

I’m wondering who they polled […] I just spent an amazing weekend with African Americans for Trump, about 300 of them. I’m just wondering who they called, because those numbers would be flawed according to the people who’ve come out to support at an amazing faith-based service yesterday with African Americans who support Donald Trump. Had an amazing reception yesterday evening with African Americans who support Trump. So, I look at the data, but my reality is I’m surrounded by people who want to see Donald Trump as the next president of the United States who are African American.

Personal experience outweighing polling data? Choosing to brag about “amazing” support, rather than address less-than-favorable numbers? Yup.

When it comes to politics, it looks like Donald Trump taught his former “Apprentice” everything she needs to know.